It's underway. A monumental court case in a Calgary courtroom has the Canadian Wheat Board trying to stop Ottawa from taking away its barley monopoly.

 

All eyes are on a Calgary courtroom this week as we wait to find out if Ottawa will be allowed to take away the barley monopoly from the Canadian Wheat Board.

The Board has taken the Harper Government to court over the move, saying Ottawa is ignoring sections of the Wheat Board act that require Parliament to vote on the proposed changes.

However, the federal government maintains the changes scheduled to take affect next month, are regulatory in nature and do not need Parliament's approval.

Jeff Nielson is President of the Western Barley Growers Association, and he's anxious to see an open market.

"The government's arguments are very strong, they do have a right within the act to make the changes by regulation. Barley was put into the Canadian Wheat Board Act by regulation and can be removed by regulation. The key thing here is the government has left barley farmers the option of still maintaining the Canadian Wheat Board as a marketing alternative".

The governments of Saskatchewam Manitoba, and Alberta have been granted intervenor status for the court hearing.